System and Method for Integrating Skill and Chance in a Game

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a system and a method for determining playing conditions of at least one session of at least one skills game according to results of a chance game. The system comprises a software application installed and operated through computerized means and connected to a player&#39;s terminal. The system may allow players to play at least one chance game, where at least one player plays said chance game using the terminal&#39;s interface to determine the results of the chance game according to predefined rules. The results are defined as threshold parameters according to which the player&#39;s playing conditions of the skills game and/or of at least some sessions of the skills game may be determined and set.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a National Stage of International Application no. PCT/IL2007/001019 filed Aug. 14, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, which in turn claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/837,928 filed on Aug. 16, 2006, the content of which is also incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of computerized games. More particularly, the present invention relates to chance and skills computerized games.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Chance-based games may be exciting but they may lack the satisfaction a player may feel when gaining the game's levels and/or score by performing his/her skills. Skills-based games may too be interesting and exciting but usually only when the players are of a similar skills-level. To enjoy both worlds—the two factors of chance and skills may be combined.

A patent application number EP1253563 by Nicastro Neil D., Sochocki Edward J. and Joshi Shridhar P. discloses a game device allowing a player to play a skills-based game as an initial game and a subsequent chance based game, where the chance game allows the player to win prizes.

A patent application number WO2006052211 by Bohult Jan, Haeggqvist Jonas and Steene Johan discloses a game control for controlling the relation between the skills and chance elements in a skills and chance game.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a system and a method for determining threshold parameters and therefore playing conditions of at least one session of at least one skills game according to results of a chance game. The threshold parameters will be used to determine the skill games' playing conditions such as the games' entry level so that a different player skill will be required to complete the game's challenges. Each threshold parameter, when implemented into a skill game will provide different gaming conditions, fitted to each skill game format, that may require different skills in order to complete the game's challenge.

The system may comprise a software application installed and operated through computerized means such as a web server or a player's computer and connected to a player's terminal (e.g. the player's computer).

The system may allow players to play at least one chance game, where at least one player plays said chance game using the terminal's interface and the terminal's input interface; to determine the results of said chance game according to predefined rules and conditions; and to define the threshold parameters of the skills game, where said parameters are defined according to the chance game's results.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the software application may be a web application installed in at least one server connected to at least one database. This embodiment of the system may allow a multiplicity of user to play through a multiplicity of terminals.

Additionally, the server may be connected to at least one database that may store players' related data such as, for example, players identifying details and their associated chance and skill games results. The playing condition of each player may be calculated and determined according to accumulated past data of chance and/or skills games results.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the terminal may be connected to at least one input interface that may be any device that enables the user to input playing data such as, for example, at least one of a joystick, a keypad, a keyboard and a mouse and the like.

Additionally, the system may farther enable players to bid against each other or against the system on the games' results or on each session of the chance and skills game.

Additionally or alternatively, the application may further enable analyzing the players' skills in at least some of the available skills games and adding the analysis results to the calculations of the threshold parameters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter regarded as the invention will become more clearly understood in light of the ensuing description of embodiments herein, given by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the present invention only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a system for using a chance game to define a skills game's threshold parameters, according to an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is schematic illustration of a method for using a chance game to define a skills game's threshold parameters, according to an embodiment of the invention.

The drawings together with the description make apparent to those skilled in the art how the invention may be embodied in practice.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.

An embodiment is an example or implementation of the inventions. The various appearances of “one embodiment,” “an embodiment” or “some embodiments” do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments. Although various features of the invention may be described in the context of a single embodiment, the features may also be provided separately or in any suitable combination. Conversely, although the invention may be described herein in the context of separate embodiments for clarity, the invention may also be implemented in a single embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a novel system and method that enable using results of a computerized game of chance to determine threshold parameters and set up the player's playing conditions of at least one session of a skills game, where a session is a predefined of the skills game such as a game's level, game's plaything/pawn handicap, games plaything/pawn booster, screen set, etc. as known in the art of computerized games. According to some embodiments of the invention, the game sessions may be modified in various ways to create different playing conditions.

According to some embodiments of the invention, both the game of chance and the skills' game may be displayed through the same software application 113. The application 113 may first represent the player or players with a game of chance, where the results of the game of chance may be represented by graphical elements or numbers, the application 113 may be used to determine threshold parameters and set up the corresponding playing conditions of a game of skills and/or at least some of the skills game sessions. According to some embodiments, the application 113 may start a sequential game when each predefined session may open with a game of chance such as, for example, dice throwing or cards selecting, to determine the threshold conditions of the next session of the skills game.

In some embodiments of the invention, the sequential games (e.g. the chance and the skills) may provide the player(s) with an option to place a bid, thereby adding a parameter that may increase the players' excitement while participating in the sequential games. Additionally, the players may be enabled to bid upon at least some of the sessions of the skills game through the application 113.

The sequential games of a first game of chance exceeded by at least one game of skills may be defined herein after as “the Chance-for-Skills Games”, where the computerized system through which the games may be played is defined hereinafter as “Chance-for-Skills System” 100, and/or simply as the “system” 100.

In some embodiments of the invention, the system 100 may simulate a rival player, hereinafter referred to as “virtual player”. One or more players may compete against the virtual player, according to predefined options that may be selected by the player(s).

Although various features of the invention may be described in the context of a single embodiment, the features may also be provided separately or in any suitable combination. Conversely, although the invention may be described herein in the context of separate embodiments for clarity, the invention may also be implemented in a single embodiment.

An embodiment is an example or implementation of the inventions. The various appearances of “one embodiment,” “an embodiment” or “some embodiments” do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments.

Reference in the specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “some embodiments” or “other embodiments” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the inventions.

It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is not to be construed as limiting and are for descriptive purpose only.

The principles and uses of the teachings of the present invention may be better understood with reference to the accompanying description, figures and examples.

It is to be understood that the details set forth herein do not construe a limitation to an application of the invention.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out or practiced in various ways and that the invention can be implemented in embodiments other than the ones outlined in the description below.

It is to be understood that the terms “including”, “comprising”, “consisting” and grammatical variants thereof do not preclude the addition of one or more components, features, steps, or integers or groups thereof and that the terms are to be construed as specifying components, features, steps or integers.

The phrase “consisting essentially of”, and grammatical variants thereof, when used herein are not to be construed as excluding additional components, steps, features, integers or groups thereof but rather that the additional features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof do not materially alter the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed composition, device or method.

If the specification or claims refer to “an additional” element, that does not preclude there being more than one of the additional element.

It is to be understood that where the claims or specification refer to “a” or “an” element, such reference is not be construed that there is only one of that element.

It is to be understood that where the specification states that a component, feature, structure, or characteristic “may”, “might”, “can” or “could” be included, that particular component, feature, structure, or characteristic is not required to be included.

Where applicable, although state diagrams, flow diagrams or both may be used to describe embodiments, the invention is not limited to those diagrams or to the corresponding descriptions. For example, flow need not move through each illustrated box or state, or in exactly the same order as illustrated and described.

Methods of the present invention may be implemented by performing or completing manually, automatically, or a combination thereof, selected steps or tasks.

The term “method” refers to manners, means, techniques and procedures for accomplishing a given task including, but not limited to, those manners, means, techniques and procedures either known to, or readily developed from known manners, means, techniques and procedures by practitioners of the art to which the invention belongs.

The descriptions, examples, methods and materials presented in the claims and the specification are not to be construed as limiting but rather as illustrative only.

Meanings of technical and scientific terms used herein are to be commonly understood as by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs, unless otherwise defined.

The present invention can be implemented in the testing or practice with methods and materials equivalent or similar to those described herein.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which schematically illustrates a chance-for-skills system 100, according to an embodiment of the invention.

In some embodiments of the invention, the system 100 may include at least one playing terminal 110, which may be any computerized unit that comprises input, viewing and processing means to allow graphical display, calculating an processing of data and a user's interface to allow receiving of input data processing and displaying of output data. For example, the terminals 110 may be players' computers and screens, laptops, personal digital assistance (PDA) devices, mobile phones with access to the web etc.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the software application 113 may be installed and operated through computerized means such as the terminal 110 and/or as a web application 113 through a web server 190 allowing a multiplicity of players and/or terminals 110 to play through the same platform against each other.

Additionally, the server 190 may be connected to at least one database 191 that may store players' and games related data such as, for example, players' identifying details, games scores and the like. For example, the database 191 may store accumulated chance games' parameters associated with the ascribed player and allow players to use the accumulated parameters as credit point in skills games played by the players through the web.

Each application 113 may comprise:

-   -   a processor 111 enabling to execute data processing and output         the chance game results as the chance parameters which may be         used as the threshold parameters that define the playing         conditions of each player in at least some of the skills game's         session,     -   an interface 115 enabling the player(s) to play the games and         view the games' scores as well as the games instructions; where         an instruction module 112 may enable viewing and updating of the         games' instructions; a chance module 114 may execute the chance         game enabling to support the game's graphics and actions; and a         skills module 116 enabling to execute the skills game, retrieve         the chance game's results, update the threshold conditions of         the skills game according to the resulting parameters of the         chance game, set up the corresponding playing conditions and         supporting the graphics and actions of the skills game.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the system 100 may enable a plurality of players to compete against each other substantially simultaneously. For example, a single playing terminal 110 may be adapted to receive one or more inputs from a plurality of players such as the first or the second player or both. Furthermore, playing terminal 110 may be adapted such that both the first and the second player can monitor the stages of the chance-for-skills games on a plurality of displays.

Additionally or alternatively, one or more playing terminals 110, may be connected to each other through at least one communication network 195 via the server 190, thereby enabling a plurality of players to compete against each other.

In some embodiments of the invention, server 190 may include an application that handles the chance-for-skills games in addition to or instead of application 113 for one or more playing stations such as terminals 110.

The network 195 may be any type of information and/or communication network enabling receiving and transmission of data. For example, network 195 may include but is not limited to a wide area network (WAN), local area network (LAN), a global communication network such as the internet, a wireless communication network such as a wireless LAN (WLAN) communication network, a wireless virtual private network (VPN), a Bluetooth network, a cellular communication network, for example, a 3^(rd) Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) such as a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) network, a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) cellular communication network, a Frequency Domain Duplexing (FDD) network, and the like.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the chance-for-skills games may be implemented in various computerized playing types and platforms such as sports games (e.g. billiard, pool, baseball, football and the like), action games, adventure games, board games (e.g. chess, backgammon and the like), and the like.

Additionally or alternatively, the playing terminal 110 may include an input interface 150 such as, for example, a keypad, a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a combination of at least some of the devices, and the like, through which the player may carry out the game's actions. FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a method for using a chance game to set up the threshold parameters of the skills-game. The method may comprise the steps of:

-   -   play the chance game 210, such as a lottery game and the like;     -   determine the results of the chance game 220 according to the         rules of the particular chance game and/or according to a set of         weighting parameters enabling to calculate and weigh the         results.     -   define the threshold parameters of the skills game according to         the results of the chance game 230, where the threshold         parameters may be calculated also according to a specific chosen         skills game.     -   set up the skills game's playing conditions according to the         threshold parameters resulted in the chance game 240. For         example, if the sequential skills game is a car race, the winner         of the chance game may receive a predefined advantage such as a         better car type and the like. If following the same chance game         a different skills game is selected, for example a quest game         such as “DOOM”—each player may acquire strength or weapons         according to the accumulated points gained at the chance game.         If following the same chance game a different skills game is         selected, for example Tetris game, each player may start the         game in a different level, corresponding to the chance game's         results.     -   play the skills game's session 250 where the player(s) may begin         to play the session of the skills game according to the playing         conditions such as the games' starting level set according to         the chance game's results and the session's specifications.     -   If the next session further requires playing of a chance game         and/or another chance game is selected by the players 260 steps         210-250 may be repeated.

Additionally, the instructions module 112 of the interface 115 may allow the players to view and/or simulate the games' rules, steps, and explanations such as the correlation between the results of chance game and the threshold parameters and playing conditions of each skills game available in the system.

In some embodiments of the invention, the threshold parameters, and therefore the playing conditions such as the entry level, may be determined for each player based on, for example, a player competition in a demo run. Application 113 may analyze the skills each player demonstrated in the demo run, determine the corresponding threshold parameters thereof and set the playing conditions accordingly. The skills that each of the players demonstrated in the demo run may be analyzed where the analysis may be used to determine their relative threshold parameters.

According to some embodiments of the invention, application 113 may also analyze previous playing results for each player, determine the corresponding threshold parameters thereof, and set the playing conditions accordingly. Application 113 may combine and use one or more of the methods listed above to determine the corresponding threshold parameters thereof, and set the playing conditions accordingly.

Additionally or alternatively, the players may accumulate threshold parameters through predefined conditions and specifications of the application 113. For example in cases where the terminal 110 is connected to a web server 190 allowing a multiplicity of players and terminals 110 to share a continuing game—each player may be enabled by the system 100 to hold a virtual account where at least some of his/her scores (meaning the resulting parameters) in the chance and/or in the skills game are stored and can be reused for other skills games.

In some embodiments of the invention, players participating in the chance-for-skills games such as, e.g., the first player and the second player, may not be informed by the system regarding the threshold parameters/playing conditions of the skills game such as their entry level, prior to placing the bid.

Alternatively, the players participating in the chance-for-skills games may be informed by the system regarding the determined threshold parameters or their playing conditions prior to placing the bid.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the system 100 may be implemented on different game platforms, e.g., as known in the art, such as an arcade game, a computer game, a console game, a handheld game and the like. The chance-for-skills system 100 may be implemented in conjunction with various hardware devices such as a wireless telephone, a Personal Communication Systems (PCS) device, a tablet computer, a server computer, a personal computer, a wireless modem, a wireless communication device, a mobile computer, a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device-, or any combination thereof.

Additionally or alternatively, the system 100 may allow the players to bid throughout the sessions of the skills game, additionally to the chance game results, where the results of the bidding may be integrated with the threshold parameters resulting from the chance game(s). Additionally or alternatively, the bidding of the players during the sessions of the skills game may enable the application 113 to use the bidding's results in the skills game, whereby the playing conditions of the players within the session correlated to the bidding may be set according to said bidding's results.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as exemplifications of some of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other possible variations, modifications, and applications that are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should not be limited by what has thus far been described, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Therefore, it is to be understood that alternatives, modifications, and variations of the present invention are to be construed as being within the scope and spirit of the appended claims. 

1. A method for determining threshold parameters of at least one session of at least one skills game, wherein each session is a predefined part of the skills game wherein said method enables using of a software application installed and operated through computerized means and through a player's terminal, said method comprising the steps of: playing the at least one chance game, where at least one player plays said chance game using the terminal's interface and the terminal's input interface; determining the results of said chance game according to predefined rules and conditions; defining the playing conditions of at least one session of the skills game, wherein said condition are defined according to the chance game's results.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said playing conditions of each session are also defined according to specifications of said skills game.
 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of playing the skills game, wherein the players begin to play according to the players' playing conditions.
 4. The method of claim 1 further including the step of bidding, wherein said application allows the user to place bids along the skills game.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said terminal communicates with a server wherein said application is installed in said server to enable a multiplicity of players to play through a multiplicity of terminals.
 6. The method of claim 1 further enables defining the playing conditions and analyzing the player's skills by analyzing the player's results of the skills game.
 7. A system for determining playing conditions of at least one session of at least one skills game, where a session is a predefined part of said skills game, said system comprising at least one software application operated through at least one computerized playing terminal, wherein said application supports said game, wherein said application enables to set up the threshold parameters of each player through a chance game wherein said parameters determine the playing conditions of said players in at least one session of said skills game according to the results of each player in the chance game.
 8. The system of claim 7 wherein said application comprising an interface and a processor, wherein said interface enables the players to view and operate the games' actions, and the processor enables processing the action's input data and calculating said results and said threshold parameters.
 9. The system of claim 8 wherein said interface comprising of: an instructions module enabling to view and update of the chance and skill games' instructions; a chance module enabling to execute the chance game and to support the game's graphics and player's actions; and a skills module enabling execution of the skills game and setting up the threshold parameters and consequent playing conditions of said skills game according to the resulting parameters of the chance game and supporting the graphics and actions of the skills game.
 10. The system of claim 8 wherein said terminal is connected to at least one server to enable a multiplicity of players using a multiplicity of terminals to connect through a communication and information network and to play against each other.
 11. The system of claim 10 wherein said server is connected to at least one database that stores players and games related data.
 12. The system of claim 11 wherein said server is a web server and said application is a web application that is installed on said server, wherein said terminals enable the players to play the chance and the skills games by communicating with said server and playing on the web.
 13. The system of claim 12 wherein said database stores chance games and skills games results associated with each identified player and wherein the web application enables to use said results for determining of playing conditions of at least one session of at least one skill game played through said application.
 14. The system of claim 8 wherein said terminal comprises at least one input interface enabling the player to operate at least some of the actions included in each game.
 15. The system of claim 7 wherein said application enables analyzing the players' skills of at least some of the available skills games and adding the analysis results to the calculations of the threshold parameters. 